China: Persecution: Guo Yijun Forced Out of Job, Churches Ordered to Stop Meeting

ChinaAid is a webs+t devoted to reporting and hopefully otherw+z assisting persons persecuted for their Christian faith in China. In a press release (Nov4,2k10), ChinaAid gives notice of the persecution of Guo Yijun who has been squeezed out of his job becawz he had been inv+ted to attend the Lausanne III congress in Capetown, South Africa. If memory serves, there were over 200 Chinese delegates inv+ted to the recent evangeliztion and justice congress, and who planned to make the trip. Sadly, the Chinese sisters and brothers seem to have no broad-scope strategy for justice in the different societal spheres, concentrating only on their churches and house assemblies. What is needed in China is a Christian Labour Association of China, that will spearhead the justice-cawz for r+ts of workers like Guo Yijun, and of all workers whatever their religion or lack thereof, to work without prejudice. And to form free-standing independent labour unions to defend their r+ts at work, in this case, to be Christian at work. The vigilante approach of Guo Yijun's co-workers in the Ministry of Transportation or some more recent employment, is something reprehensible. It evokes disgust and loathing. Whether the Transport job is the last employment or not the press release from ChinaAid does not make clear in this regard.  

-- EconoMix

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If Guang Yijun's squeeze-out was persecutory, as it appears to have been, the matter shoud be promptly appealed to the World Trade Union Confederation (WTUC) and to the UN-affiliated International Labour Organization (ILO). If it was persecutory on the basis of his religion, as it appears to have been, Lausanne III should animate its affiliates around the world to speak up for Guang Yijun's re-instatement to his job, and simultaneously call for the firing of the ring-leaders in the workplace who proceeded against him in such a bigoted way.

BEIJING -- Chinese Christian Guo Yijun, an involved member of a house church in Beijing who once worked at a research division in the Ministry of Transportation, was recently summoned to meet with the leaders of his work unit. In the meeting, Guo Yijun learned that they wanted him to quit his job for being invited to attend the Lausanne Congress. He has now resigned from his position.

According to the news sent from Tang Jingling, a laid-off Christian rights defense lawyer, many house churches have been ordered to stop meeting from mid-November to late November during the Asian Games. As a result, many churches have to hold weekly mobile gatherings or hold their worship services in smaller groups. It is estimated that this will last until January.  Many house churches in Guangzhou have been ordered to stop their gatherings.



ChinaAid calls for Christians to pray for strength and encouragement for Guo Yijun and others like him who are facing opposition in the workplace for their faith. We also pray for house church Christians during the Asian Games, and we call on the government officials to stop suppressing their citizens.China needs religious freedom, and with that the unobstructed growth of Christian churches along with those of other faiths and ideologies. But China also needs free-standing independent labour unions based on choice under the fundamental r+t to freedom of association. Guang Yijun is persecuted for his religion and being excluded by the his colleagues and workplace. Churches are wrong to make his case ent+rly a churchistic matter. They have to cut Guang Yijun into parts to support him only the faith-aspect of his persecution. This is bad theology, which unfortunately was amply represented at the Capetown congress (risibly called "Lausanne III"). Even if Guong Yijun's personal consciousness is churchistic, China's Christian leadership -- outs+d the lapdog churches that neatly register themselves and co-habit with the Communist Party in its control of all of l+f in China, altho millions have repudiated this leadership -- the leadership of the huge body of outs+der Christians does no good by passing by the workers of China, laying battered at the s+d of the road.  


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